Elle Fanning on Playing the Bad Girl in ‘The Beguiled’

With The Beguiled now playing in theaters, I recently sat down with Elle Fanning for an exclusive video interview. She talked about her relationship with writer-director Sofia Coppola, how she was asked to be in the film, how during filming she had sleepovers with Kirsten Dunst and discovered they’re soulmates, and a lot more.

If you’re not familiar with The Beguiled, it’s is based on the Thomas Cullinan novel of the same name, and stars Nicole Kidman as the headmistress of a seminary for young ladies in Civil War-era Virginia. The school’s seclusion is disrupted when a wounded soldier from the Union Army, played by Colin Farrell, arrives and kicks off a yarn of “seduction and jealousy.” The film also stars Angourie Rice and Oona Laurence. For more on The Beguiled read Greg Ellwood’s review.

Check out what Elle Fanning had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the synopsis and some images.

Elle Fanning:

Does she enjoy doing press?

Does she sleep? Because she’s already done over 50 things in her career.

Talks about how Sofia asked her to be in the film.

How during filming she had sleepovers with Kirsten Dunst and shares a crazy cab ride story from New Orleans.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Beguiled:

“The Beguiled” is an atmospheric thriller from acclaimed writer/director Sofia Coppola. The story unfolds during the Civil War, at a Southern girls’ boarding school. Its sheltered young women take in an injured enemy soldier. As they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous rivalries, and taboos are broken in an unexpected turn of events.

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